Over the next day and a half, I watched caravans of luxury cars and sleek black SUVs roll back into town. This time, the numbers were triple what they were when other packs came to covet my presence, and a stampede made its way through. Most stayed at the hotel, while the prime guests stayed in rented mansions and properties just outside of town, courtesy of Elijah's endless cash flow. Investments in stocks and the monopolizing of surplus profits from the town did that for a man, but at least they were put to decent use.
I had never seen the Alphas and Betas and other high-ranking members of packs arrive like this for the Solstice. As a child, my parents kept me far from politics, more concerned with maintaining my childhood than building up their heir. Elijah had been different, attending every meeting from the time he was fifteen and on. The responsibilities grew heavier with time until the title of alpha was dumped on him just a year later.
I turned from the window to where Rebecca and two other women stood at a wooden vanity. The Solstice was today. The party started at six. They were here to prepare me like a doll. I sat down in the chair they beckoned me into, and they chatted boisterously among themselves about all the attractive people that were arriving for the party. One pointed out Alpha Carson of Silverflame Pack, a man in his early forties with a chiseled face and rough demeanor. Another pointed out Alpha Salvatore of Sangue Bosco, an Italian-American pack from New York, and how clean his suits were and that he must be a part of the mafia to look so mysterious. Rebecca sided with Alpha Carson, saying she liked her men older and rough around the edges. I did not comment, even when they pressed for one.
I yowled as they plucked eyebrow hairs and grimaced as they smeared on foundations and concealers and powders. My skin felt heavy with it all as they beat red back into my cheeks and colored my eyes and lined them with black and curled my lashes, and brushed them with a wand to make them darker. At the end of it all, when my lips were coated in a deep matte plum color, I was declared finished, and I stared at myself in the mirror as if viewing a stranger rather than myself. My skin was smooth, the freckles hidden beneath powders, which I would have preferred to have showing, had they not manhandled me into the chair. My eyes were painted with the same deep teal-greens as my dress and winged with black eyeliner. I glowed and darkened in all the right places with precise contouring. I looked otherworldly and yet so innately present. "Is this really me?" I asked. Rebecca took my shoulders. "All it does is take the beauty that is already there and amplifies it," She assured. I smiled as I looked at her through the mirror, and we stood.
I put on the dress carefully and with assistance, fitting into it snuggly. The lacey material felt strange against my skin, coarse in some places and soft on others where the lace replaced sheer material. My necklace of moonstone was placed around me, and I was stuffed into heels that took my balance several times. When they declared me complete, I stood as another person in the mirror. The fiery nature of my hair contrasted the rich greens of the dress, making every color of me stand out. The moonstones glittered at the column of my neck. My gold eyes shone a little warmer.
Rebecca clasped her hands together and smiled proudly. "You're ready."
Five-forty-five p.m. rolled by, and I was loaded into a black Nissan with Sam and Rebecca as my guards. Rebecca was dressed in a stunning black dress that slit at the thigh to produce the full breadth of her slender thighs. Black high heels curled in straps around her ankles, so high I thought she could spear a man through with each heel. Sam was in a sleek black suit, wearing black-out sunglasses and an ear piece I thought must have connected him with Delta Anthony and the other patrol squad members. I sat stiffly between them, twiddling my thumbs as Laluin spoke to me.
"You look beautifully, Vina," She said tenderly. "This will be a night to remember."
The drive was twenty-two minutes of awkward silence before the car came to a halt in front of the convention hall. Reserved for the largest events of the city, the convention hall was grand and covered in crystal chandeliers, plush royal carpets, and a million dollars of glitz and glam. Outside, every car in the city must have been parked in the large lot, boasting a Winter Solstice Ball turnout to never again compare. Sam held out a hand once he had climbed from the car, and I took it, climbing out. We were parked in front of the building, the entrance swarmed by people as the building's golden glow washed over the red carpet. For tonight, Redfield was the wolven Hollywood.
As soon as my heel hit the ground, a flood of people approached. Sam held them back as pictures were snapped in flashing arrays that blinded me, and I ducked my head to avoid their attention as Rebecca snarled at them to stand back for the Seer. I awkwardly shuffled inside, breathing easy as the crowd cleared so that I was allowed space to exist again. Laluin seemed to drink in the attention, telling me to relax and enjoy this, but it was hard to. No one had ever looked at me with the whimsy and wonder that those people did now. No one but Elijah, and now, his eyes only held bitterness and the cold of winter.
Looking out over the hall, a ballroom spread before me. My eyes glittered as I absorbed the brilliant beauty of warm gold light and the cacophony of voices and music and sparkle. At least a thousand wolves must have been in the building. Sam nudged me, and I turned to look at him and Rebecca, both of whom were smiling wide. "Go. This is your moment, Davina," Rebecca said, and I swallowed thickly, turning and staring at the steps. I stepped down.
One by one, the eyes of every wolf turned, and the music changed to my entrance. The voices fell quietly to murmurs as I descended, and all the world seemed to see me. I felt naked. Each step was a carefully considered move to stay firm on my shoes' ridiculous heel lengths. I looked out over the crowd to the VIP booths overhanging the party, and I saw Elijah with Beatrice on his arm, both watching me. I stared at Elijah, our eyes locking as I descended, and my heart fluttered. Something burned deep inside of me that I had no words for. It melted away as he looked elsewhere, as if tired of me already. My heart dropped to the floor and shattered. Steeling myself, I reached the bottom of the steps. Despite the number of people, the convention hall made it seem like there was hardly anyone present thanks to the grandness of the space's size. A dancefloor took up much of the center, and as I joined the crowds and the music melted into a waltz, several approached.
A gruff man in his early forties approached, his peppered hair adding to the handsomeness of his features. He smiled warmly. Alpha Carson.
"Good evening, Seer. It is an honor to meet you," He said, bowing.
My heart went rigid. An alpha, bowing to me? I couldn't comprehend it. "Please," I squeaked out, "Do not lower yourself for me, Alpha." I curtsied to him. "It is an honor to meet the leader of Silverflames."
We both straightened, and he grinned, his entourage looming behind him. "So, you recognize me. I am flattered." If it hadn't been for Rebecca's ramblings, I wouldn't have been able to guess at all. "Of course, I admire your pack's strength and courage," I said, making something up.
"Then," Alpha Carson said carefully, taking my hand and kissing the back of it, "I wonder if the Seer would consider joining my ranks. I would give you honor and riches beyond anything you've ever known." I flushed at his forwardness and bravery to suggest something after Elijah had so explicitly stated to the envoys that I was going nowhere and that they were unwelcome.
I slowly drew back my hand. "I apologize, Alpha Carson, but I'm afraid I can not do that at the present moment. I have a duty to my pack," I lied. I was a prisoner. To leave now would set Elijah off. "But," I said, "in the future, I will remember your offer." When I leave, I would need allies. Going rogue would be next to impossible now. I had to align myself with other packs to survive. If I didn't, would Elijah imprison me again in his packhouse fortress of wood and stone and memories?
Carson smiled again, his canines gleaming. "Very well, Seer. I understand. If you are ever in need, Silverflames is always open to you." He bowed again and headed off with his group, and I stormed over to the drinking fountain of champagnes and wines and bourbon--with juice for the kids. Sam and Rebecca hovered behind me by about twenty feet, on alert for any strange figures. I poured myself a makeshift mimosa of champagne and juice and downed it so hard it almost came back up. The airy feeling slammed into me and made bubbles of ease and reaction wash over my brain. I waltzed to the dancefloor, standing on the edge with a bubble around me, like people were too worried to breach the boundary of my existence.
"Davina!" Laluin cried in my head. "Look!"
"What?" Before I could process it, someone tapped my shoulder. I whirled, coming face to face with the most gorgeous man I had ever seen. A chiseled face brushed with a neat beard crested my eyes upward, highlighting vivid green eyes and a devilish energy. A three piece suit with a deep red paisley vest hugged his body in all the right places. He charmingly smiled, and my heart turned to goo. "Good afternoon, Miss Davina." Miss Davina. Not Seer. Not Oracle of Ilya. His voice was thick and dark, a song made up of a curling Scottish accent. I blushed as he took my hand, pressing a kiss to it. I didn't pull away. "And you are?" I asked, my voice stuck in my throat. He looked up from my hand with eyes that told me to run and also to never move, that welled something in my stomach I didn't have a name for. "My name's Oliver, Oliver MacLaren," He purred, straightening and releasing my hand. I couldn't take my eyes off of him. He reached up and tucked a loose strand of my wild hair behind my ears, and I shivered.
"Nice to meet you. Alpha." I said, meeting his eyes confidently. No one strutted that much suave without having the power behind it. He laughed. "Oho, you recognized it? You don't have to call me any such thing. It's just Oliver, for you," He said, and I smiled a little, my face feeling hot. "So the Seer gets embarrassed, then?" Oliver teased, and I covered my face. "I'm not used to this kind of attention," I admitted, peeking through my fingers. He raised an eyebrow. "A gorgeous woman like you should have known this attention long before the Goddess recognized you, darling." He bowed. "Would you honor me with a dance, Miss Davina?" He asked, and I didn't know if it was the alcohol or the music, but I felt so bubbly and light right then, my heart swelling. I put out my arm for him again. "Davina. It's just Davina, for you," I said back, and we exchanged smiles before he straightened and I took his arm and we headed for the floor. I waved at Rebecca and Sam to stand down, and they remained on the outskirts of the dancefloor as Oliver and I made our way to the center.
The room seemed to grow quieter, and I could feel the eyes on me. Oliver stopped and whirled me, pulling my body against him. "Don't look at them, look at me," He said, no doubt sensing the anxiety rolling off my shoulders. I let out a breathy laugh and nodded. "I should let you know that I'm a terrible dancer. I've never learned how," I said. Oliver shrugged. "Just follow my lead, then." The music shifted, as if just for us, and we began a delicate waltz that took us across the floor with the other dancers swirling around us in partnered dance. My feet kept up steadily, knowing the basics of waltzing, and despite the few close calls, Oliver was an excellent leader. My chest was pressed to his, our bodies moving together as I took in his eyes. He looked down at me warmly, and butterflies fluttered in my abdomen and up my spine.
After a couple of minutes, my body grew tired, and I just barely made it to the end of the song. The heels had the soles of my feet burning in agony. Oliver escorted me from the floor to a set of tables, shooing away the onlookers seated so that I could sit in peace. I nodded to him in thanks, wincing. He sat beside me, looking over the dancefloor as the next song began. "Tell me about yourself, Davina," He said, and I smiled softly. "There's not much to tell," I said, a half-truth. "Sure, there is," Oliver said gently, taking a champagne glass from a passing waitstaff and sipping it, "There are years of your life to tell."
"Well," I swallowed thickly, "I was born in Ironfang Pack as the daughter of our Beta Donovan Laverne. I'm twenty-two years old. I'm an only child." I didn't know what to say about the last six years. He beat me to it. "Beta? I thought..." He seemed to catch himself, clearing his throat. "Six years ago, the rogues," Oliver said, realizing it on his own. I was shocked he knew that much, having come from an ocean away. I nodded. "Markus took the position. I was stripped of my heiress title. I... have not lived a good life, these last years," I said, not looking at him.
Silence passed. Then. "I was born in Edinburgh into Gealach Deàrrsadh to my Alpha heiress mother and an omega father. They were mates and leaders of the most powerful pack in Northern Europe," He said. I looked up at him. Gealach Deàrrsadh. Shining Moon in Scottish Gaelic. I thought of how beautiful it sounded on human lips. My mother had taught me about them. My grandmother had been one of their own. "Were. What happened to them?" I asked delicately. His eyes hardened a little, black creeping into the white, and I regretted asking. Oliver took a breath. "Ghrian Dubh." Black sun, an eclipse. They naturally weaken our wolves. "They came with silver bullets. We couldn't defend. They died when I was eighteen, and I took my title shortly after." He was like Elijah, thrust into his leadership too young. My heart ached. I placed a hand over his. "I am sorry," I said softly. He looked at me, his eyes back to normal, and he smiled. "Thank you, Davina," He said, raising my hand and kissing my wrist. I blushed again.
"To be honest," I started. I had never told anyone before. Everyone here already knew. "I am a prisoner." I pulled back my hand, clasping my fingers together until my knuckles whitened. "When I was sixteen, I met an old wolf..."